Read a full report of the Championship match between Newcastle United and
Barnsley at St James’s Park
on Saturday March 6th, 2010.

St James's Park has become a web of intrigue since Mike Ashley bought the club but here it was the scene for Newcastle United's very own Spiderman in the shape of Jonás Gutiérrez to weave his magic.

Ashley was still relatively popular when Gutiérrez arrived on Tyneside from Real Mallorca in July 2008 with the Argentine promising to celebrate goals by sporting a Spiderman mask.

At long last the wait to see the comic book super-hero act that became his trademark in Spain was finally ended in this rout against Barnsley, who suffered a debilitating blow when goalkeeper Luke Steele was sent off just before half-time when he conceded a penalty.

It would only be a slight exaggeration to say substitute keeper David Preece’s first six touches all came by virtue of picking the ball out of the back of the net amid an incredible flurry of goals.

Unbeaten in the league this season at home, the Championship leaders haven’t so much turned their ground into a fortress as a place of execution for opponents as their lead at the top of the division was stretched to eight points.

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No one sums up their home superiority more than Peter Lovenkrands, whose 11 goals this term have all been scored on home turf, but if the Dane created the foundation with a brace and Danny Guthrie sealed victory, Gutiérrez took centre-stage with his Spiderman antics before Guthrie and Kevin Nolan completed the scoring.

“I’m not sure it was worth the wait but Jonas’ was a wonderful goal,” Hughton said. “What was most important was his overall contribution which we can’t fault.”

Until Steele’s sending-off, Mark Robins’ side gave Newcastle a good run for their money. The game turned Newcastle’s way when when Steele fouled Lovenkrands, who then slotted his penalty past Preece.

Lovenkrands nodded in Andy Carroll’s cross before Guthrie beat Preece from 25 yards, but Gutiérrez upstaged them by crashing in a long-distance shot off the underside of the bar.

Guthrie curled home a free kick and Nolan burst into the box and rounded the goalkeeper for the home side’s sixth before Daniel Bogdanovic’s consolation for Barnsley. Robins said: “The disappointment was the sending off. That was pivotal.

It was dubious whether there was any contact but I’m told by the ref if the rule is whether there is a trip or attempt to trip.”